Second Coming
by DemonSaya
Summary: It's been almost 100 years since they died. 46 years ago, Chrno was reborn, once again as a demon, and having all his memories from his past life. He spent years searching for her, until finally, Ewan Remington found her for him.
1. Chapter 1

I believe that it is because I am cursed.

I was born in January of 1979 with the name of Christopher Raven, in New York City, just inside the Order of Magdalene. A hair under 50 years after my last death. It seemed wrong to me, even at the moment of birth.

Why was I given my life back, but without her at my side?

Is this to pay for the sins I committed hundreds of years ago?

They say I was a 'fussy' child. That I was 'evil'. That I was a 'demon'.

Like it was my fault that I was born with the horns I could feel rising above my pointed ears, and that it was my fault I had slitted pupils and naturally red eyes and purple hair. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is because of the contract I had with her which sealed our fates.

They do say suicide is the only unforgivable sin.

Is that what we did?

No, she didn't kill herself. I killed her. My living killed her.

My face saddens as I look at the church from inside my car. It hadn't changed much in 96 years. They had opened a secular school inside the compound, for orphans, which eventually grew a great deal, and was now the single largest Catholic School in the state.

People from all over the country sent their children here to learn from the famed Order of Magdalene.

With a sigh, I double checked my seal in the rear view to make sure my 'special features', as some called them, weren't showing, then I opened the door to my beat-up little celica and stepped out. I could hear some whispers as people passed me, and I caught several of the young girls which were headed to Sunday Mass looking at me with distinct interest.

"I see you made it, and you're still turning the young girl's heads..."

The warm voice made me jump, startled, and I turned, finding myself looking into familiar, smiling blue eyes. A smile slowly slid over my lips. "Ewan..." I said, embracing him.

Some said it was strange for a demon to embrace any angel, even one who'd had his wings broken. Lately, since most didn't know Ewan and I's history, say it's just strange for two men to embrace. But Ewan was the closest thing I had to a brother, and the only person from back then who was still here.

"It's good to see you again." I said honestly, releasing him.

Ewan Remington smiled, nodding. "Yes...I see your trip to Japan did you some good?"

I sighed, leaning against the brick wall. "I didn't find her, but...At least I found a way to hide my appearance." With a smile, I looked over towards where she and I used to stay inside the compound. I knew my smile looked empty. "If I don't find her soon, I might just decide to 'sleep' for 50 more years and maybe by then, she'll have returned..."

Ewan frowned. I couldn't see it but i could feel it. "That's why I called you back. There has been evidence since 2000 that Aion has returned..." He said softly. "I saw him in 1981 as well, at the assassination attempt on the pope-you remember?"

I nodded solemnly. I had been expecting this. I had been waiting since I'd been reborn for this news. I wasn't sure I was up for it without her at my side, however. "I can't fight without her, you know that." I shook my head, glancing away. "I'd barely be a bump in Aion's path without someone to protect..." I glanced towards him and saw understanding on his face. "How's Joshua?"

"He died. 15 years ago." There was a strange look on Ewan's face. He was looking at someone or something behind me. Then, he grabbed my wrist and jerked me to the side, out of the way of a frighteningly silent motorcycle.

It stopped just as silently, and the person on it turned, smiling, bright blue eyes sparkling. "Remington-sensei!" The boy jumped off the bike and ran towards them. "I beat nee-chan! It's the first time today!"

I stared at the boy in shock, sound fading into the background. Those eyes...that face...It was Joshua. My jaw quivered, and the sound of a softly purring motorcycle sounded behind me. Ewan had to pull me out of the way again, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the boy's face. I looked at Ewan for explanation as the second bike flew past and screeched to a halt.

"That was a dirty trick, Joshua Christopher!" A familiar voice cried, as two hands pulled the helmet off her head.

I choked.

Blond hair flipped about slightly as the girl shook it free. Turquoise eyes were glaring at the boy who bore Joshua's face, and apparently his name as well. Soft pink lips were pulled into a slightly pouty frown. I felt my shock choking me and I forcefully turned away, before the girl noticed my gaze on her.

Ewan shooed the pair off to class, and I merely forced my breaths steady, trying to meditate, praying to god at the same time that my eyes weren't deceiving me. After almost 10 minutes I turned back towards the ex-priest/broken-winged angel. "Th-that...was that really-?"

The man frowned slightly, still watching the pair run off, laughing. "Isn't it strange...that Joshua, who was the sickest as a child, lived the longest?" He said softly. "The year before his death, his great-grandson had a daughter...The first female Christopher since..." Ewan glanced towards my shocked face. "And a year after, they were blessed with a son, who they named after him?"

I took a strained breath. "Why now? You had my contact information...why did you wait almost 17 years to tell me?"

Ewan sighed softly, glancing after the two children. "What would you have done if I had?"

I froze, thinking. In reality, I'd just been aimlessly wandering, hoping to god that I found her, with no plan of approaching her when I did. Knowing my boneheaded self, I would have gone right up and hugged her, demon appearance or no, and scared the crap out of her. I sighed, shaking my head. "I don't know..."

"I thought as much." Ewan glanced at his watch. "If you'd like, we can still get you enrolled into classes before school starts..."

I looked at him in shock.

He laughed outright. "Why do you think I called you back, you little idiot? I've found your little Rosette. But YOU need some way to spend TIME with her before all hell breaks loose. So, how long has it been since you finished school anyways?"

I exhaled. "30 years...give or take a few..."

"Well, don't worry. It hasn't changed much." He clapped his hand on my shoulder. "And as a favor, I'll make sure you're in at least one of her classes."

I relaxed a bit, smiling and nodding. "Don't I look a bit old to be a student, though?"

"Can't you change that?"

I rolled my eyes and tweaked the dimensions on my seal, making me a bit shorter and more youthful. "For Pete's sake..."

He looked at me in curiosity. "Who's Pete?"

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Getting me enrolled was easy. All it really took was Ewan pointing out that I'd been schooled there once before and a brief explanation and everything was set.

NOT.

The principal, who by the way looked an AWFUL lot like Sister Kate did when I last saw her, flew off the handle about the 'demon' being allowed back into school here. I merely stood back and let Ewan handle it. He was better at this kind of thing than I was.

When the fireworks had ended, I was enrolled in most of HER classes. The ones I didn't share with her I shared with her brother. Slowly, Ewan led me towards my first class and I stepped through the door and my throat dried instantly. The jewel witch stood at the front of the class, wearing a stern expression. "Remington-sensei, please, if you insist on putting new students in my class, could you AT LEAST do it before the bell rings."

He smiled at her and I tried to make myself as invisible as possible. "Sorry, Ms. H." His voice was somewhat teasing. "This is Christopher Raven...transfered recently from Japan."

The woman nodded sternly. "Introduce yourself, young man...and please, if you would, your hair dye needs to be washed out."

I bit my lip to keep a chuckle inside. She was a lot sterner than I remembered. "My name's Christopher Raven." I bowed a bit formally, my eyes easily picking 'HER' face from the crowd.

"And what should we call you?"

I blinked, looking at the woman with Satella's face through wide eyes. "Huh?"

"Nickname? Chris? Christopher?"

I blushed, looking at the ground. "C-chrno..." I said softly.

A hush went over the class.

My face darkened. "It's a long story, but I've been called it since birth."

The woman arched a fine eyebrow. "Verywell, Mr. Raven, please take your seat beside...Um, Rosette? Is that an open seat?"

The girl, who'd been examining him curiously flushed, nodding. "H-hai..." She said.

Rosette? Her name was Rosette? I moved towards the seat and sat in it silently. Class restarted a moment later, and I pulled out my day planner, beginning to jot notes down. The reverend was right. Things really hadn't changed a whole lot in the past 30-odd years since I'd been in school, but Math would give me trouble. After the first fifteen minutes of class, and getting countless questions of my phone number and address, I noticed her turquoise eyes on me once again and a blush heated my cheeks.

Dammit, what was it about her that made me feel like a green human schoolboy?

She leaned towards me, a mischievous smile on her face. "So, Chrno, right?" Her voice was light and teasing and exactly how I remembered from all those years ago. "I'm Rosette."

I smiled a bit, nodding. There were quiet whispers behind us. I ignored them.

"Kinda strange we ended up in the same class. Like Chrno and Rosette from the stories inside the order..." She flashed him a smile and laughed softly, her eyes crinkling up a bit.

"Rosette Christopher, is there something amusing about World War I?"

She jumped. "No, Ms. Harvenheit!" She looked at the top of her desk with a blush.

"Then stop your giggling, and STOP flirting with the new student."

I blushed darkly as well, finding the top of my desk absolutely fascinating. Good god, it was going to be a long year.

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_AN: Yeah, noticed some errors from earlier. Anyways, I fixed them. blah blah blah. Please tell me what you think. I hope to continue this, unless I get poor response, then I'll just say Phooey and drop it._


	2. Chapter 2

_Second Coming_

_By: DemonSaya_

_Chapter 2_

I am your average 16 ½ year old girl.

My name is Rosette Christopher, and I was born August 26, 2002. My brother Joshua was born only two years later. I'm a little over five feet tall and my weight, is none of your business. I attend Catholic School at the Church of Magdalene, and an in the 11th grade.

Like any other girl, I can tell a hottie when I see one, even if I choose to ignore how cute they are and move on with my life. Beauty without brains means little to me. I have a bit of a temper, and I adore a good argument, and, well...I never really went for the 'good' boys. I loved to watch my mother pale when I brought friends home, or when I asked for a tattoo, or a motorcycle.

Which is why when _he _walked in that day last week, I thought my heart had stopped beating in my chest all together. His name was Christopher Raven, but he went by Chrno. His hair was dark violet and his eyes were red. His skin was dark tan, and he had two earrings in one ear and an ear cuff on the other. He was also _the_ hottest thing to walk through that classroom door besides Father Remington the entire year.

Imagine my shock when it turned out he was rather humble, quiet, and very, _very_ smart.

I had laid on my natural charm a bit, teasing him about his nickname, and he'd blushed. Since then, we'd spoken less than a handful of times, and more often than not, I found him sitting at Father Remington's table during lunch, the pair having a serious discussion.

That's when I got the idea he was gay.

I glanced towards the boy discreetly, watching other girls in the class trying to catch his eye, but his nose was firmly planted in his math book, and he had an expression of concentration on his face.

Oh, yes, definite hottie.

His still dark violet hair hung around his face loosely, the longer parts pulled back into a rather messy braid at the nape of his neck. One hand supported his forehead as his eyes skimmed the page, his mouth periodically sending a gust of breath to blow his hair out of his way. His other hand thumped the mechanical pencil lightly against the page. He blinked, frowning, and straightened, scratching the back of his neck lightly with his long fingernails.

I rested my chin on my palm, setting myself to the busy task of observing him. Sculpted cheekbones, narrow jaw, white teeth...yes, he would be any girl's dream pin-up.

Suddenly, two red eyes met mine and my heart screeched to a halt for just a moment.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips. I suppose I could have been completely daft, but I had a distinct feeling that there was a light blush on his cheeks.

I decided to worsen it for him. "Why no. I was just thinking that you could get any girl in this school, but you seem to kind of ignore them. Are you gay?"

His eyes flashed wide and he stared at me as though I were crazy, then, his expression dawned upon him and a dark flush covered his cheeks. "No." He said shortly, turning back to his book.

I blinked, noticing a slightly sad expression on his face, despite the flush across his fine cheekbones. A twinge of guilt stabbed at me and I wasn't sure why.

"What makes you ask that anyways? Interested?" His voice was teasing, but the sadness in his eyes hadn't gone away, and his smile fell a bit short.

"Maybe." I responded, seeing them go wide with shock briefly. "But mostly confused. You could have any girl in school easily, but you just kind of ignore them and only really talk to Father Remington."

His eyes softened from their sad look and his smile looked more honest this time. I watched his eyes flicker briefly down me and then back to my face, smile never leaving his face. "Father Remington is practically my brother. And there is a girl I'm interested in. She's just a bit unapproachable."

The tease startled me. I wasn't expecting that. Sometimes, the boy seemed bordering on a kind of evil seductive, then he'd be like a lost puppy a minute later. It was like he wasn't sure what to be, and he was having trouble adapting.

Well, I could always fix that for him.

I grinned wickedly at him. "Really? If you tell me her name, I could always put in a good word for you."

He looked down at the top of his desk, his face serious. "It doesn't matter. Until certain things are resolved, I can't be with her." He said softly. "I wont make the same mistake twice..."

I could barely make out the last thing he said, it was so quiet. Suddenly, an alarm went up around the school. It startled me so bad, I let out a small shriek, and fell clean out of my chair. I glanced towards the boy and saw him glancing around, a wary expression on his face.

Just then, Sister Kate came over the intercom. "Students, please move to the safety area, there's been a compound breach. Members of the order, dispatch to the west gate immediately."

There were several cries of alarm in the room, and the teacher rushed out of the room, heading towards the West Gate, leaving the students to take care of themselves.

"Come on." I looked up and saw the boy was completely unaffected by the alarm, as though he was used to it. His hand was extended towards me, and his expression was rather nervous. His red eyes were flickering around the chaotic room and rather narrow. In fact, they seemed to be flickering gold.

I took his hand, shocked when he hauled me up as if I weighed less than nothing, and he pulled me out of the room, calling for the other students to follow him. They did, terrified. They reached the chapel and he glanced around. "You've dealt with this before?"

He nodded. "I spent a lot of time here as a child." He frowned a bit, and glanced towards the door. "Where's your brother?"

"How'd you know I had a brother?" I glanced around, and was startled to find that my brother was missing. "He's not here! He has P.E. this period...I don't see any of his classmates, either!"

He frowned deeply, and moved towards the door, his face set in a determined manner.

"Wait, Chrno-"

He turned towards me, a somewhat pleased look in his eyes. "Wait here."

"But-"

"Wait here."

"You're not my mother!" I snapped, my anger growing. "I promised I'd look after Joshua! You can't go telling me not to-" Warm fingers wrapped around mine and I found myself meeting his gaze.

"You haven't changed a bit..." He shook his head and drug me out of the chapel, running at a pace I could scarcely keep up with. He pushed through the panicking students easily, until we reached the air outside. Upon exiting, I saw Father Remington standing to the side, a slightly glowing sword at his side.

"Chrno! Why the hell did you bring Rosette out of the Chapel!"

"Have you ever tried to convince her to do something she didn't want to do!" He shouted back. "You know how it is, once she gets her mind set..."

"There's no changing it..." Father Remington agreed, looking displeased. "Why are you two out here, anyways?"

"Joshua's missing!" I cried, running towards him. "He wasn't in the chapel."

Suddenly, there was a crash behind us and Father Remington looked at 'Chrno' with a serious expression. "Are you going to unseal?"

I frowned, looking at the boy. His face was conflicted. Then, it hardened into a mask I barely recognized. "If needs be."

Father Remington nodded. "Be careful, Chrno..." He said, then headed to meet with the other members of the order.

I stared at the boy as he drug me along, calling out for my brother, looking back and forth, his face concerned. Why should he care? Why should he care about me, my brother? We skidded around a corner and I froze, staring in shock at the carnage. It was like someone had been searching for something and ripped the ground apart. Joshua lay on the ground, blood trickling down the side of his head.

We hurried towards him and I knelt beside him, my face nervous. "Joshua! Joshua!"

My brother groaned a bit, his face cringing. "Rosette?"

"That's right, baby brother, it's me...it's okay, I'm here..." I gathered him to my chest and petted his hair gently. I glanced up and saw Chrno looking at something a short distance away and my eyes followed it. I nearly vomited.

Whatever it was, it's foul smell was carried towards us on the wind. It looked almost human, except that it's skin was sickly green, and it had a horn growing out of the top of it's head. It's eyes were blood red and hungry looking and there were huge, sharp, pointy teeth sticking out of it's mouth, and drool dripping between them.

"Take your brother and get out of here."

I looked up at the boy who was unbuttoning his school uniform jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"What?" I whispered, staring at him in shock.

"Get to the chapel. If you run into any members of the order, send them here. You need to hurry, Rosette." He said, glancing back at me.

"I can't carry Joshua all by myself!"

His face softened a bit, and he nodded. "Can you get him as far as the tree?" He pointed.

I followed his gesture, seeing the tree less than fifty feet away. I nodded. "I think I can."

Just then, a fist sped towards the boy and I cried out warning. I needn't have worried.

Without even looking at the creature, he lifted a hand and effortlessly stopped the fist. My jaw sagged. He tossed his jacket towards me and I caught it, my eyes still wide from shock. "Chrno...?"

"Go."

I pulled Joshua's arm around my neck and began moving towards the tree as quickly as I could.

He reached up to something around his neck and gave me a sad smile. "I enjoyed being in class with you, Rosette." He said honestly, then sprung towards the monster, kicking it forcefully in the jaw, sending it sliding back across the ground. Then, he reached up and unclasped the strange necklace he always wore.

Dark energy gathered around him, and I watched my classmate, the rather shy, awkward Christopher Raven grow taller, _much _taller, his braid becoming what looked like bone, his ears becoming long, pointed, with what looked like fur around the bottom edge. His shoulders grew broader.

My jaw sagged and I simply stared at him. I knew that face. I had seen it in a lot of the books I'd read about demons and demonology.

Hey, just because I go to Catholic School doesn't mean I'm not interested in occult. Joshua's actually worse than me.

Chrno the Sinner.

"C-Chrno..." I whispered, staring at him in disbelief. I had always thought it was simply a quaint nickname. That he was a wild and rambunctious boy. Figuratively a demon.

I had no idea...that he was a real, live demon.

The world spun a bit and I blacked out.

When I awoke, I was laying down in a room, a hand was tightly wrapped around mine. I looked towards the person, half-expecting to see Chrno, and I was shocked and perhaps a tad disappointed to find that it was only my brother. "Joshua, are you okay?"

He glanced back at our parents, who were talking furiously to Father Remington and Sister Kate, their faces red with anger. Without a word, he released my hand, and walked towards the open door, closing it on their faces. "They locked him up."

"The demon that attacked?" I asked, a bit relieved. That meant that Chrno was-

"No, when the order arrived, they were still at it. Sister Kate had a fit. She demanded that Chrno be sealed into the catacombs beneath the church. She thinks that this is partially his fault. They're talking about having him executed!" Joshua said, his eyes wide with panic.

I sat upright, blinking hard as my head spun once again. When it had stopped, I glanced down to see what I was dressed in. I still wore my school uniform. "Then we'll have to help him escape, wont we..." I said, sliding from the bed and glancing out the window towards the chapel.

'I enjoyed being your classmate...'

I bit my lip, glancing back at my brother. "It's our fault he was exposed. He was trying to protect US. We owe him. He saved our lives."

The door swung open and our parents walked in, wearing stern expressions. "We are pulling you two out of this school. Evidentially, the famed Magdalene order is getting weaker, if they allow a demon into the heart of the student population..." our mother glared towards Sister Kate and Father Remington.

The father smiled a bit. "Need I remind you that it's thanks to that demon that you still have a son..." He said, then, his face grew serious. "Perhaps, before pulling them out of school, you should ask them how they feel on the matter."

"I'm staying." I said firmly.

My mother and father looked at me in shock and I looked back at them, my face serious. I felt Joshua join me and he opened his mouth to speak as well.

"I am too." He said softly, and he wrapped his hand around mine. I could feel that his hand was slick with sweat, and I could feel him trembling.

I squeezed his hand back, and met our parents angry gazes. "Demon or not, he saved us. He exposed his secret to protect us. I don't think he's evil."

Almost everyone standing in the room gasped at my blasphemy. Our parents, who had been very devout in their loyalty to religion and the Magdalene order paled and then, my mother turned red in the face. "We have no children, then!"

This time, everyone except me did gasp. My father paled further, and he shook his head furiously as our mother drug him from the room. I looked towards Sister Kate, who was resting her hand over her chest. Her face was pale, and it looked like she was on the verge of a heart attack.

Father Remington closed his eyes, then looked directly at me. I felt my heart skip a beat when his dark blue eyes met my own cerulean pair. "Are you sure that you want this?" He asked softly, his face serious.

I nodded firmly, my eyes narrowing a bit.

Joshua nodded as well.

Father Remington nodded in agreement. "Very well..."

Chrno wasn't in class the next day. Or the following day. Or the day after that.

Finally, I went in search of Father Remington, and found him in the chapel, his face pale, standing in front of the confessional. "Father..." I said softly, my face worried. I took his arm and helped him sit. "Father, where's Chrno?"

He looked towards me, seeing me for the first time. "Chrno...is to be executed tomorrow morning." He said softly.

AN: I know, I know. This is a horrible place to cut this chapter off. Initially, this was only going to be 1st person, from Chrno's point of view, but...I changed my mind, and decided to keep the story reasonably short, things are going to have to happen quickly. Mostly because I can't STAND writing filler chapters. I need STUFF to happen. Besides, Perhaps this way, I wont get horribly bored with this story and just scrap it...I've done that before...


	3. Chapter 3

Second Coming

By DemonSaya

Chapter 3

DRIP...

My eyes stared through the darkness of the prison I was in, no real form of light whatsoever flickered through the room. I smiled slowly, feeling the weight of my seal still resting in my pocket. It didn't matter if I looked human, or that the only one's who'd seen my untransformed state were the order, Rosette and Joshua.

DRIP...

I winced, feeling the water splash slightly on my horn. Even the drop of mortal blood running through my veins didn't ease the pain of holy water on my skin. A grim smile turned up the corner of my lips as I lifted my face towards the constant drip of water.

DRIP...

It burned down my forehead, towards my cheek, searing pain, like having a hot iron pressed ruthlessly against your flesh. It was worse than when they used their blessed whips and chains and maces on me. Worse than the tasers. Not quite so bad as their way of holding me stationary, however. The cross I'd been strapped to while I was in my self-induced purgatory, waiting to die. The purgatory that she'd rescued me from.

DRIP...

The cross had evidentially been blessed in my extended vacation from the covenant, and now it sent pain ripping through every piece of skin it touched. They wanted me to be too weak to fight when they killed me.

They wanted me to beg for them to kill me.

DRIP...

The moonlight faintly filtered through the window at my back, and I desperately wished that I could turn my head towards it. I knew that it was at least mostly full. I hadn't laid eyes on it's soft glow in almost a week. I hadn't felt the warmth of the sun on my face in equally as long.

And the last time I saw her...

DRIP...

I don't cry out as the holy water falls on me. I wont give the guards that pleasure. I timed the intervals and each time a drop was due, I would conjure a picture of her into my mind. I would conjure that time, when Joshua, Rosette, and I sat beside the lake. When all the darkness in my life was washed away by their unwavering light. I would remember when Rosette would give me a good hard noogie for tossing her out her bedroom window to get her out of bed.

DRIP...

I smiled sadly. Perhaps she would be there at my execution. If I could see her just one last time, that would make it okay. She didn't remember everything we'd gone through, but I did, and I remembered that I loved her. I remember her last few minutes in the last life, my arms wrapped tightly around her, as though I could force the life back into her.

I would have given up my powers to have her live.

DRIP...

The door opened and a timid nun entered. Her long white hair fell down her back and her purple eyes were lowered as she carried the tray towards me. The two guards stood by the door, smirking at my evident pain. They didn't realize that their weapons weren't what hurt me.

The idea I'd never see _her_ again hurt me.

DRIP...

The nun lifted a metal spoon and tried to feed me some of the gruel, but I simply shook my head, smiling gently at her. "No, Azumaria." I said softly. "But thank you."

Her eyes widened at the fact that I knew her name. After all, she wasn't a student, nor a teacher, and I'd never met her in this lifetime. "Do I know you, Demon?" She queried, her face confused.

I looked away, smiling sadly. "Not anymore. But once upon a time, we did meet." I closed my eyes and sighed. "Your voice rivaled those of angels, they said." I looked towards her, curious. "Do you still sing?"

"Y-yes..." She said softly. "With the choir, here..."

DRIP...

"Waste of perfectly good talent..." I leaned my head back against the cross, not even wincing at the sound of my skin sizzling. She, however, cringed.

"Is there anything you would like to eat for your final supper?" She asked softly.

I smiled sadly, closing my eyes. "I would like to feel the moon upon my face. I have no need to eat mortal food, Azumaria. My vitality and health is solely based upon my connection to the astral line, which is weak right now. Besides..." I let my voice take on a teasing quality. "Isn't gluttony a mortal sin?"

"Your existence is a sin, Chrno the Sinner!" One of the guards cat-called from the back. "You should have just stayed dead!"

DRIP...

I ignored them, giving Azumaria a gentle smile. "Go, Azumaria. And thank Father Remington for me. He'll know why." With that, I looked away from them, focusing on the wall not far from my side. I listened to the sounds of them leaving my cell and sighed, lowering my eyes to the floor. "At least I got to see her...one last time..."

DRIP...

I was closing my eyes, willing my body to go into hibernation, that sleep where they can't actually kill me, when I heard something behind me. It sounded like scraping, and rustling. I would have turned to try to see, but it was futile. If it was an assassination attempt, I didn't care. Better to fall to one of Aion's goons than to die at the hands of humans, who try to kill in a way more painful and terrible than ripping my horns off.

DRIP...

"Pst!"

I blinked, trying to turn my head to see who was psting me, but immediately regretted the action. The leather strap around my neck caused waves of pain to rip through me. I bit back a pained grunt and turned my head back to the front. "Who wants what of a sinner?" I asked, my voice slightly tight from the pain still tingling in my body.

"Sis! It's him! Chrno's in here!"

That voice I knew. It was Joshua. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened. Slowly, I lifted my head, my breath quickening slightly. There was only one 'sis'.

DRIP...

I hissed softly, this time, being too distracted by those behind me to guard against the pain. I heard soft scraping sounds again and my sensitive ears twitched slightly. Then, a louder scrape, and the sound of metal against metal. "You two are awfully loud..." I teased, my voice tight with pain and now also worry. The guards weren't demons, but they could probably hear the echo through the catacombs.

DRIP...

I heard a soft gasp that I would know anywhere, in any lifetime and tilted my head to the side. "Hello, Rosette." I said softly. I heard her fumble whatever she was using on the bars and smiled faintly to myself. Suddenly, there was a loud crash behind me and I winced, knowing the guards heard that one. In fact I could hear their shouts and rustling around. "Hide!" I gasp, my eyes widening, fear that they would be caught gripping my stomach roughly.

Apparently I shouldn't have worried.

Just as they were approaching the door, the sound of the alarm went up around the covenant, and I jumped startled. I heard the sound of two small feet hit the floor and then cerulean blue eyes filled my vision. My breath rushed out of me as I gazed down at her from where I was trussed to the cross.

Her hands quickly set to work, pulling the straps apart, I heard two more feet hit the floor and then another pair of hands went to work as well. Within a matter of moments, I was free, and I felt my limbs fold beneath me. Four arms, caught me, holding me up. "W-why?" I whispered, lifting my face to look at theirs.

I saw a timid smile on Joshua's face and a determined look on Rosette's. "You saved us, didn't you." She said evenly. She moved towards the door and pushed it open easily, slipping into the hall before Joshua helped me into it as well. "I think we have about five minutes before they realize it's a false alarm. So, we've gotta get out of here, FAST."

I shook my head. "Not out. UP." I pointed to the ceiling. "My astral is weak, I need to get closer to the astral line...The higher we go, the better." They looked nervous and I shook my head. "All of the fighters in the order are out protecting this place. Everyone else should be locked into the chapel. No one will look inside."

They nodded, and we began moving quickly up from the catacombs. I immediately felt better. In fact, the higher we moved, the more energy I felt, until I was running, practically dragging them along with me. I hesitated when we reached the top. Slowly, I cracked the door, peering outside. Father Remington stood there, Azumaria at his side. They looked directly at me, Azumaria wearing a frightened expression, Remington's passive. I stepped slowly onto the roof, and kept myself between them and the two mortals behind me. "Azumaria...Ewan..." I acknowledged.

Remington merely nodded in return, and pulled a small card from his pocket. "You three can hide there. I'll show up a little later tonight. It's probably best if you fly out."

I nodded shortly and watched as the pair left the roof. Then, I turned towards Rosette and Joshua. "I need both of you to hug my neck and not let go." I said evenly. They looked nervous, and I gently put an arm around either of their waists. "Hold on tight."

I felt them both hug tightly and I lifted them off the ground easily. They were feather light, practically. With three quick steps, I hit the edge and pushed off, spreading my wings and listened to the cries of alarm going up through the covenant. I heard a few people scream and realized that one of them was Rosette, whose face was pressed tightly against my chest. A blush rose up to my face.

A slightly wicked grin turned up the corners of my lips as I saw the one's that were guarding my cell and couldn't resist swooping towards them, scaring the living shit out of them in passing. Once outside the property, however, I felt my prior weakness return and I forced myself to glide to the ground, resting the pair against it.

At first, Rosette didn't notice that we were on the ground and I relished the temporary contact. It had been many years since I'd last held her, after all. She smelled just like the Rosette I remembered. I heard Joshua breathing hard, still clinging to my sleeve and gave him a weak smile. "Come on, we need to get moving fast..." I said softly, gently putting Rosette a little away from me. "The order isn't going to let me live unless they need me. It's always been like that."

Rosette blinked, slowly opening her eyes, and apparently realized that she'd been clinging to me rather tightly and her face flushed and she quickly moved towards where they parked their racing bikes. She looked towards me and then Joshua. "These fast enough?" She asked, picking up her helmet.

I smiled, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my seal, clasping it around my neck and fiddling with the settings, till I was more comfortable in my appearance, not looking like a 17 year old kid. I heard their collective gasp and looked back at them, knowing my golden eyes were now deep red. A wry smile turned up the corner of my lips and I nodded. "Those'll be perfect."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

His arms around my waist were warm. It was one of the only things I'd noticed since getting on the bike. Had I known that I would be so distracted by him, I would have sent him to ride with Joshua. His cheek was resting against the thin cotton of my school uniform and it sent my imagination into overdrive.

I glanced towards Joshua when he signaled me, and then I noticed we were approaching our destination. It was a small, slightly ratty cabin about three hundred miles from the covenant. I nodded towards my brother and lightly applied the break, allowing it to slow to a stop. I felt the boy behind me sit up and heard him choke slightly. His arms left my midsection and I was startled that I missed their warmth.

My ears caught the crunch of Chrno's boots hitting the dirt and suddenly he was walking towards the cabin in an almost trance-like state. A frown tugged my lips down and I pulled off my helmet and followed, hearing Joshua do the same. "Chrno?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer, stopping outside the cabin, pushing the door to it open and looking calmly inside. His face was an unreadable mask, no emotion whatsoever showing on his handsome face. As I watched, he closed his eyes, slowly stepping into the cabin, leaving Joshua and I alone in the darkness. I frowned, following him inside, and I blinked. Rather than having all the modern comforts, it looked like the inside of the cabin was stuck in a previous century. There were no faucets, no bathroom.

"What is this place?" Joshua asked softly, looking around in confusion. "Why would Minister Remington send us here?"

I was wondering the same thing when I heard Chrno speak for the first time since we'd climbed onto the bikes.

"Because he knows the Order wont think to look here." He said, and without looking pulled something off of the small table beside the small, tattered bed. "Last time...it took them months." He smiled bitterly. "I suppose all they found back then were corpses."

The grimness of his voice startled me. I moved slowly, hesitantly towards him. "Chrno?"

He blinked, looking up at me, then, he got a strange expression on his face and moved out of the door, lightly replacing the frame on the bed-side table. "I...need to be alone for awhile. I wont go far." He said softly, then stood, walking out of the dusty, slightly oppressive cabin.

I watched him leave and heard Joshua gasp and my eyes darted towards him. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, the boy turned the picture towards me and my breath caught in my throat. It was black and white, five people, in a carnival setting. It was yellowed with age, slightly bent, with obvious fraying on the edges. On one side was a young looking Chrno in a dark coat, Azumaria, one of the young nuns at the order, Ms. Harvenheit, and there...

I covered my lips, sucking in a sharp breath.

It was me.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_AN: Another chapter done. Everyone can do their little happy dance now if they'd like. Chrno is safe, and he's 'together' again with Rosette. I almost had their 'safe house' be an inn or some bar or something, but I thought the cabin where Chrno and Rosette spent their last months together in the anime would be more appropriate. You may have started noticing that I've incorporated some things from both the anime AND the manga into this, and it will continue to be as such. There are just some times from both where I think they're just awesome and I wouldn't cut them out for anything. I.E. When Chrno goes berserk in San Fransisco and to punish himself, pretty much sends himself into his own private hell. It was in the manga, but not the anime, but I loved the scenes so much, and the concept that I just had to keep it. Anyways, I'll try to post another chapter for this sometime soon. I dunno where it's really going still, but I've got a few ideas which may or may not stick. Please R & R. Love, Peace and Doughnuts, DemonSaya_


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